New Advertising in Dublin

Hoardings along the roadside, apart from being dangerous to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians (as if we could ever hope that reasoned argument will prevail on this front), are quite possibly the most asinine form of advertising known to mankind.

It was a novelty in America during the Great Depression when Burma Shave set up roadsigns along a rural highway in Minnesota. These billboards, usually five or six to a crop, spelled out jingles that took the average driver about 18 seconds to read and usually had some amusing pun or rhyme. This eventually spread throughout most of the 50 states and generally cheered people up from the fact that they had no job, no means of supporting their families, and were lucky to be scrapping round in a vehicle that doubled as a home. Surely not the preferred method for grabbing peoples’ attention in this time of the Celtic Tiger!

They started to dig these things up in the 50’s when someone decided it wasn’t worth it to pay farmers for land rental. Cigaratte giants Phillip Morris bought out Burma Shave in 1963 and sensibly set about a more lucrative form of advertising that spoke to the changing times: subliminal advertising and lacing their products with fiberglass and cocaine, I mean, nicotine. Come on, JC Decaux and M6 Media. No one wants to see more of this crap by the side of the road. This is the 21st century. Can’t you control people’s thoughts through mobile phones by now?

Something for nostalgia’s sake– to be inserted inside the new hoardings we’ll soon be seeing by the roadside:

IF YOU WANT

FREE JACKS AND BIKES

YOU”LL HAVE TO PUT UP

WITH OUR SHITE

JC DECAUX

Heres something that may be of interest; the first map is that of the locations of the larger billboards as marked by red dots – isnt it odd how the map shows so much of the northside :rolleyes: –

This second map is that of the bus-shelter size adverts, this time marked by orange dots –

Great Work Hutton !

You haven’t marked out where the Bike centres are proposed to be. I was thinking about this, and although I don’t think that the price of the bike is the inhibiting factor for people to cycle – it might just get a few more people cyling – which is a good thing albeit at a high price.

I think that the maintainance break/fix contract to support the bikes should have a 40 year duration – like the toll roads. And if the quantity of bikes decreases by (say) 20, JC Dev remove one of the billboards.

I guess what I’m saying is that the fate of the billboards should be inextricably tied to the fate of the bikes. So when the bikes end up the in canal & JC Dev have no incentive to take them out, they loose a billboard.

Why don’t Dublin City Council put up the billboards, and keep the advertising revenue themsleves – to spend on the bikes? and spend JcDevs profits putting in a few cycle lanes.

@PVC King wrote:

These will no doubt all be located on main routes and will have three road facing sides which will no doubt be festooned with images of Wayne Rooney et al which will each generate as much as €20,000 per installation per year depending on location.

This is not de nortside being lumbered with metropoles whilst the southside gets the prize to pay for it.

I understand that Mr Rooney is admired on the Northside – but surely his image will not be used on the Southside? Are we to have Sinn Fein election posters next?

Appalled.

@ConK wrote:

Great Work Hutton !

Many thanks 🙂

Anybody hear this on the Vincent Brown show the other night – or is that just a rumour? I see theres a big piece in Phoenix magazine on it (page 5, under the heading “councilors taken for a ride”); if anyone has a digital copy of that, it’d be great to post here 😉

@archipimp wrote:

im tired of this northside vs southside fight,im not just talking about here but i expected people on this site to be looking for the benefit of the whole city as one rather than slagging each other.also if most these bike shelters were on the southside the argument would be “typical they get all those facilities down there the northside gets nothing”
also has anyone thought that maybe the bike shelters are planned for the areas they are because they will be of more benifit to those communities eg.many people in rathmines would scoff at the idea of using public transport so why would they use these bikes while less well of areas are more likely to use them!

Have you not read anything in this thread after post 16?
These are NOT bike shelters – they are 120 BILLBOARD sites;
the point is its not “Northside vs Southside”, but how shitty adverts are to be dumped on working class areas – which tend to be on the Northside.
The 25 bike shelter locations have yet to be decided.

@archipimp wrote:

im tired of this northside vs southside fight,im not just talking about here but i expected people on this site to be looking for the benefit of the whole city as one rather than slagging each other.!

Absolutely. Time to move on from the old ways, rising tide levels playing pitch etc.

For years now many northsiders have been living happily in Ranelagh, and my neighbours and I fully accept them and consider them a colourful addition to the area.

Their sunny and carefree outlook makes a pleasant contrast with that of the indigenous population and, when treated properly, they prove very loyal.

I have never been involved in planning things before.
I have objections lodged against two of these. Will they contact me to tell me what has happened? How long do I get before I have to appeal if they are passed?